1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to skates in which a sole plate or frame is attached to the base of the boot, and wheels or rollers are in turn secured to the sole plate or frame.
2. Related Art
In order to allow some degree of movement of the skater's foot, existing skate boots are made of a semi-flexible or semi-soft material. The soft boot material produces a slower grinding speed on surfaces such as concrete curbs or steel rails, and also allows unwanted flex of the boot. These problems have been solved in the past by attaching glider plates of faster and harder material to the underside of the boot or a platform or sole plate that covers a large portion of the underside of the boot. Glider plates do not solve the problem of flexing of the boot base, while sole plates add unwanted height between the foot and the ground. The two layers between the wearer's foot and the ground also reduces the wearer's feel and control of the skate.